The Horror Geek Speaks: The 10 Best Horror Films of 2005

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One year, ten movies guaranteed to make you sleep with the light on.

By Mike Bracken

Ah, January&#Array;a month when we put the holiday decorations away, a time when winter's icy grip takes a firm hold on the land, a time when every yahoo on the Internet has to come out with a seemingly never-ending series of Top 10 lists for the year just passed&#Array;

In previous years, I've avoided the temptation to do a Top Horror Films of 20XX list only because it was all but impossible to actually come up with ten films that were worthy of being mentioned. Surprisingly enough, 2005 saw a dramatic increase in the number of quality genre films released. Good horror was all over the place in 2005&#Array;in our theaters (where it's been absent for far too long) and on countless DVD discs released between the months of January and December. 2005 was damn near a renaissance year for the genre cinematically&#Array;and one can only hope this trend continues into 2006.

Before we begin, here's my sole caveat: I took a liberal approach to the whole "2005" thing. Some of these films were released theatrically in 2005, others were released in years prior, but only became available to domestic audiences this year (thanks to DVD). Because of this, the list is pretty Ameri-centric. Some of these movies had DVD releases in other regions prior to the U.S. (and prior to 2005), but since few people have region-free DVD players and import discs, I've taken their mainstream American release dates and added them in as releases for this year. So, please, no complaints that something like Cannibal Holocaust was actually released in 1980&#Array;I know.

So, with that out of the way, let's get on with the list. Presented for your approval&#Array;the top 10 horror films of 2005, in descending order.

10. Saw II: This sequel to 2004's surprise hit Saw finds the demented madman Jigsaw back in action. This time out, the stakes are higher as a whole room of people must find a way to escape before succumbing to a deadly nerve gas being pumped into the room. The suspense is palpable at many points and the film manages to retain the mean-spirited glee of its older brother while smoothing out a few of the wrinkles in the first film (mostly in terms of plausibility). Because of this, Saw II is something of an anomaly&#Array;it's a sequel that is equal to its progenitor.

9. Wolf Creek: Greg McLean's Aussie horror film was released on Christmas day and barely made the time cutoff for this list&#Array;and I'm glad it did. Wolf Creek is a frightening film inspired by true events. Three friends (two British girls and an Australian man) wander into the outback where they encounter a psychopathic madman (played brilliantly by John Jarratt) who captures them, tortures them, and makes them fight for their very survival. At its core, the film is yet another in a long line of cautionary cinematic tales about the inherent evils of traveling outside the confines of civilization and just how dangerous country bumpkins can be. Yet, despite the fact that it retreads this well-worn ground, it manages to succeed because it has a mean streak a mile wide. McLean pulls no punches&#Array;and because of that, there are moments where this film will genuinely shock its audience.

Wolf Creek

8. The Card Player: Dario Argento's latest giallo is actually a few years old now, but it wasn't released for mainstream American consumption until earlier this year. In this outing, Italian police are hot on the heels of a psycho-killer who has a penchant for video poker. He challenges the cops to a match&#Array;if they win, the victim lives. If they lose, they watch as he slices her throat with an X-acto knife. The film itself has some issues (the killer's identity is easy to guess), but solid performances from Stefania Rocca and Liam Cunningham make up for the shortcomings and the lack of gore. Let's face it, even when he doesn't bring his A game to the table, Argento is better than 98% of the guys making horror movies.

7. Plaga Zombie: Mutant Zone: This ultra low-budget South American zombie film won me over through its copious gore, hilarious characters (including a giant wrestler named John West&#Array;complete with his own theme song), and absurd storyline (the zombies are created as a result of an alien experiment that the South American government sanctions). This one won't be winning any awards for its production design, but there's no denying it's one hell of a lot of fun. If all low budget zombie flicks were this good, I'd be one happy camper.